Hello,
First time ever on any message board, so hope I’m doing it right.
Anyway, I am installing an acrylic tub w/three pc wall kit in my 30 yr old house, and there is a joist that runs lengthwise underneath the center of the tub. This joist is 1/2″ higher than it should be, so it makes the tub rock. What is the right way to prepare this floor for the tub. (3/4″ cdx) I was planning to use webcrete 95 latex portland floor leveller to create a smooth level surface, but wanted to check with others who have dealt with this before.
Also, after browsing the forums, I am starting to doubt that I even want this tub/wall set. (Eleganza by aquaglass from Lowes) The house is mine, but we plan to move out in 3 years. Reason I chose wall kits, is ease of maintenance. I am tired of cleaning and maintaining grout. I never want to see tile walls again. Has anyone had any experience with this product?
Thanks for your help.
Replies
Have had a fiberglass 3-piece (plus pan) shower for 25 years now. Love it -- much less trouble than tile. Dunno about the acrylic one.
IF the joist is not undersized to begin with, and IF it or the adjacent joists haven't been cut to bits by a prior plumber, you should be able to shave the joist down by 3/4" without seriously weakening things (assuming you have the floor sheathing up). While the floor is open, add solid blocking between the joists, to reenforce things and keep everything moving together.
a joist that runs lengthwise underneath the center of the tub.
I assume it doesn't interfere with the tub drain.
As Dan said, plane it, saw it, kick it, curse at it, but if it's accessible, get it down to the level plane of the others, or, at the least, installing the surround will be a royal PIA, and at worst, cause premature failure of the tub. The tub must be sitting on level floor.
Haven't used the Lowes surround, all of mine come from a plumbing supply house from Sterling, although I believe HD might sell the same. If the surround uses adhesive instead of being nailed to the studs directly and interlocked on the tub, I would caution against it, but, as I said, I don't know about that brand.
Good luck.
"I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul." Invictus, by Henley.
Hi,
Thanks for the responses.
You're right, It is not the exact center of the tub area. It is about 4" left of the drain. I was trying to explain that the joist made the tub rock along it's long axis. I had considered tearing out the subfloor decking, however the floor tile at the face of the tub is in good shape, and I would have to tear it out to get to the next joist. Other wise I would have to do some creative framing and scabbing to support the new subfloor.
That is the reason why I was considering using a floor leveller. It is similar to what you would use to level an uneven floor before setting tile. It would leave a level surface, I'm just not certain it is suitable for the weight and concentrated loads of the tub bearing surface.
Also, I've heard that you should place tubs in a bed of drywall mud, or grout. Is this necessary? Am I making this project more complicated than it needs to be?
The surround itself glues to the studs, with nails holding the flanges at the perimeter. Our company built some 6-plexes that used swanstone's shower surround kits, and once we perfected our temp bracing, they seemed to work well.
Thanks
Also, I've heard that you should place tubs in a bed of drywall mud, or grout. Is this necessary?
Necessary? No, but a very good idea. NOT drywall mud from a bucket! Use a setting type compound or grout. And I think that you could use that to level the tub and solve your problem all at the same time.
You can take up some of the thickness with pieces of plywood, to save weight and mud. Or, depending on the design of the tub and the way the floor slopes, you could possibly just use plywood shims in various thicknesses (with the option of just enough mud to bed the tub).You definitely want good uniform support under a tub. Check the bottom of the tub and identify it's bearing points, and make sure all those are well-supported. When you bed the tub, you don't need to have mud under the whole thing, just those support areas.
If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. --James Madison
I had one tub install where the subfloor was so out of whack, rather than waste my time, I installed 2x resawn shim lengths along the front and the back, dammed up the drain hole, then mixed a ton of leveling compound and poured. Gotta ensure your shims are level side-to-side and front-to-back.
I've also done the rebuild the floor thing scabbing endless amounts of shims and 2xs to get flat and level, and will say that the poured method is faster, though I needed to do some belt sanding to get it just right.
Good luck.
"I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul." Invictus, by Henley.
I set my acrylic one-piece units in a relatively dry sand mix - same thing you'd use as a mud bed in a tile shower pan. They are rock solid. Basically lay down a piece of felt paper first as a slip sheet, put a pile of mud in, and step in the tub to set it to the shape of the tub.
We installed this exact product on our new bath in mid July. In our case the joists were rotten and had to be sistered and scabed with new subflooring, so the install was pretty clean. We like the unit and it is pretty easy to clean/take care of. We like it a lot better than the once pc fiber glass unit in our old house (early 90's built). I am going to use the same unitin the next bath too.
We have gotten a lot of compliments on it from guests, it has a nice look that most of the builder spec houses in our area don't have.
You need to set the tub in Structo Lite, a perlited gyspum based light weight concrete.
That is all you need.
It should say as much in the instructions that came with the tub.
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It's Never Too Late To Become What You Might Have Been
Hello,
Thanks again.
Yes, I had expected the manufacturer to require a bed of plaster, but nope. Their instructions are very basic. They say to ensure that floor is level, lay down a piece of housewrap if floor is other than plywood (to prevent squeaks), and set the tub. That is why I was wondering if a bed was necessary.
There are four plastic feet on each long side of the basin, and they are almost 2" long. It would take a huge pile of plaster to reach the main body of the tub. Is that typical?
Thanks again everyone for all the info.
You can build up the surface under the tub with scrap plywood prior to setting the tub in Structo Lite. But be care full not to over do it. You want to have a least an inch or so of mud under the tub.
Structo Lite comes in fairly large sacks, but I do not know the cubic volume a mixed bag produces. Perhaps your job will require more than one. It is not expensive and does a good job of setting, anchoring and sound deadening.
I just pulled out a one piece tub last week that was set in Structo Lite.
You can also form a "tub" from tarpaper by stapleing the sides up into corners, fillit with the setting material then set the tub in it.
Eric[email protected]
It's Never Too Late To Become What You Might Have Been
There is no need for a bed of any kind under your tub. They are built to be self supporting on the feet. You just shim under the feet where necessary. You can use some construction adhesive on the shims so they stay there. The tub also connects to the wall on three sides, in most cases.Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
Last one I installed said nothing about a bed or mortar. I called (can't remember which company, probably Sterling) and the customer service said it wasn't necessary. Did it anyway.
"I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul." Invictus, by Henley.